Button-attaching device.



E. F. SILKMAN.

BUTTON ATTACHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9. 1917,

ll fififlgfiw Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

WITNESSES a nv VEN T08 [Em/V 5/4 5/ 7/94;

" Maw Q6 A TTO/i/VEYS Ill] EDWIN FRENCH 5112mm, FORT SHERMAN, CANAL ZONE.

BUTTON-ATTACHING nEvIcn.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1 918.

Application filed February 9, 1917. Serial No. 147,564.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWIN F. SILKMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident oil Fort Sherman, in the Canal Zone, have made a certain new and useful Improvement in Futton-Attachin Devices, of which the following is a spec' cation.

lily present invention relates generally to button attaching devices, and more particularly to devices for the attachment of buttons in such manner as to permit of their remoral when desired, and to obviate danger of accidental displacement at all other times.

The primary object of my invention is, therefore, to provide a button engaging device such as to permit of ready and quick attachment and detachment of buttons to and from uniforms and civilian clothing of washable nature, for instance, my invention adapting itself to other uses, however, even though of less practical importance.

The means of the general nature of my invention proposes are susceptible of considerable variation, and to this end several of the more important and practicable constructions will be described, in its elucidation, with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and wherein- Figure 1 is-a sectional elevation showing my invention in its practical use;

2 is a plan view of a construction of button retainer constituting the preferred form ct my invention, and

Figs. 3 to 9 inclusive are similar. views illustrating slightly modified forms thereof.

According to the preferred form of my invention, as shown in Fig. 2, a body blank l5 formed of sheet metal of suitable gage and elasticity, is provided with a central longitudinally extending integral tongue 16,which normally lies in the plane of the body 15 and the free end 17 of which projects slightly beyond the adjacent end of the body to act as a guide. This tongue 16, including its inner enlarged portion 19, is separated at its sides from the adjacent portions of the body 15 by slits 20 and 21, the inner extremities of which are turned inwardly toward one another as at 22, the said slits outlining the tongue and its inner enlarged portion 19 so as to form shoulders 23 and 24 on the body blank 15 and tongue 16, opposing one another in spaced-apart relation to form recesses 25 for the reception of the U-shank 26 of a button 27, as seen in Fig. 1, through which the tongue 16 is adapted to extend.

Thus, when the tongue, after displacement laterally with respect to the plane of the blank 15, in its passage through a button shank, again assumes its normal position with the extensions of the button shank in the recesses 25, the said shank will be locked therein until the tongue 16 is again displaced with respect thereto.

Substantially the same results are obtained with a similar form of retainer such as seen in Fig. 8, though constructed of wire, the extensions of which are bent to form the outer and inner outlines 28 and 29 of the body, the outline 300i the tongue and the shoulders 31, forming the recesses 32 for receiving the button shank.

In Figs. 3 and a the opposing shoulders are dispensed with, the tongue 33 of Fig. 3, formed otherwise the same as in Fig. 2, being flared slightly at its inner end, and the recesses 34: receiving the button shank being formed wholly within the oval body 35 at o posite sides, and intermediate the ends, oi the tongue 33. In Fig. d the tongue 36 is of one width throughout, with the recesses 37 of its generally rectangular body 38 formed and located as in Fig. 3. p

The form in Fig. 9 differs but slightly from Fig. 3 and in the construction of the retainer from wire, as in Fig. 8 above described, the extensions of which form outer and inner outlines 33 and 33 as well as the tongue 34:, with the adjoining portions of the inner body outline 33* coiled to more resiliently support the tongue 34, and with the said inner outline bent to form the shank receiving recesses 35.

According to Fig. 5, the body 39 may be circular, with a recess 10 and an arcuate slit 41-1 at opposite sides of its angular tongue 42, the latter of which and the body 39 are provided with spaced opposing shoulders 43 and 44 forming a companion recess to the recess l0, for the reception of the button shank.

In Fig. 6 the tongue 45, at the sides of which the body 46 is provided with shank receiving recesses 47, is located wholly Within the limits of the body, the side portions of the latter having a connecting piece or bridge 48 in spaced relation to the tongue 45 and beyond its free end.

In Fig. 7 the body 49 has shank receiving recesses 50 at opposite sides of its tongue 51,

and the latter is wholly within the limits of the body, the slits 52 of the latter of which closely outline the tongue so that the latter must be bent through the button shank 26 after the latter is introduced within the reoess.

Thus it is apparent my invention is susceptible of varlation wlthm considerable limits, is capable of efficient action in use,

'and'is at the same time strong, durable, and

may be quickly associated with, and removed from, a button, for the purposes first above described.

It is obvious furthermore that all of the forms shown, provide tongues which, with buttons engaged, lie in the plane or the body out the retainer, and that considerable advantage thus results from the elimination of more or less bulky projections beneath those portions of clothing or other articles to which the buttons are removably connected.

Although it is to be understood that, while so disposed, the tongue of either form of my invention may be transversely curved or concaved at one point in the length where it engages the button in operatixe position, in order to better fit the contour of the button shank where the latter is iormed of round wire. 7

I elaimzl. A button retainer having a. spring tongue lying throughout its length in the same plane with the body thereof, and also having recesses at opposite sides of the tongue, said tongue extending at its opposite ends materially beyond the opposite sides of said recesses. 4

2.. A button retainer having a body, and

Y a spring tongue lying throughout its length in the same plane with the body and having recesses at opposite nodes of the tongue intermediate the ends of the latter, said tongue having its inner portion at one side of said recesses enlarged, for the purpose described.

nnwrn reason snin.

Witnesses:

Win. i M. iii. Fen, 

